Coach Kirby Cannon recently said he didn’t have much more than “just a hole” to show recruits who visited in January, less than two months after construction to replace the west side bleachers began. But that didn’t mean plenty of work wasn’t being done by Bell and Associates construction, the Brentwood company that did work on Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium and will be part of a joint venture to build the Sounds’ new downtown stadium.

Austin Peay athletics director Derek van der Merwe said workers have been on-site for six or seven days every week, and they missed only one day during the ice storm that shut down campus for nearly a week. The project remains on schedule to be completed in time for the Govs’ first home game against Chattanooga on Sept. 13.

“The company’s been very good to work with,” van der Merwe said. “Their vision for and their excitement about the project, it’s been enjoyable to be around.”

Once all the electrical wiring was put in underneath the field, the Govs were able to get back on the turf for some conditioning drills before spring practices. Cannon said they were able to see some beams and other big pieces put into place on what he hopes will be the centerpiece of his rebuilding effort.

Already the foundation for the bleachers can be seen as well as the four towers that will be home to 13 luxury suites, including one for the university’s new president.

Work also continues for the visitors’ locker room on the opposite side of the field, where the old bleachers and press box will remain intact. The field turf will be replaced this summer, making it necessary for Austin Peay to hold its camps at either the soccer field or the intramural fields south of the Dunn Center.

“We’re going to have to flip some drills in order to have sidelines that you can run out routes and go out of bounds on,” Cannon said. “But I’ve told the coaches, I’ve told the players that any of those problems are dwarfed by the positive of the new stadium. I’ve asked to hear no moaning and groaning.”